The Directive 2008/1/EC (update of “the IPPC Directive” 96/61/EC) required industrial and agricultural activities with a high pollution potential to have a single environmental permit covering all their environmental impacts. This permit can only be issued if certain environmental conditions defined in the Directive are met, so that the companies themselves bear responsibility for preventing and reducing any pollution they may cause.

Integrated pollution prevention and control concerns new or existing industrial and agricultural activities with a high pollution potential, as defined in Annex I of the IPPC Directive (energy industries, production and processing of metals, mineral industry, chemical industry, waste management, livestock farming, etc.).

English version of the original IPPC Directive 96/61/EC can be found here.